


Broken Masks

by MuseMeow



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2018-11-03 02:30:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10957797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuseMeow/pseuds/MuseMeow
Summary: A late night conversation leads to a little bit more than Nora and Danse expected.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little something I wrote and thought I'd share with you all. I'm not sure if it will go anywhere, but here it is.

She had found him on the Flight Deck of the Prydwen. The stars told of the late hour, at least the few she could see beyond the great airship towering above her. He was staring out over the city’s coastline, lit up by the moonlight. In the distance were the eerily glows of the scattered settlements. The largest being that of Diamond City. Nora remembered a time when the whole city had been lit up. Boston had shone so bright it had dimmed the stars. Making it impossible to see all but the brightest ones.

The Paladin stood, leaning on the railing. His power armor nowhere to be seen, instead he had opted for the typical Brotherhood uniform. She had only seen him out of it a handful of times. Danse lived in the armor, so much so she had jokingly taken to calling him a “tin can.” He had grumbled at the nickname at first, but had so far allowed it under the silent agreement she never called him that in front of the other soldiers.

Crossing the deck to stand beside him, Nora took notice that the place was deserted. The night guard was making their rounds, leaving the pair completely alone.

“Nice night,” Nora commented, taking a hold of the railing.

“You should be sleeping,” he stated simply, “I need you at your best.”

“I could say the same to you,” Nora fired back.

He was quiet, his eyes still focused at the horizon. “I don’t sleep much,” he admitted.

“I’ve noticed.”

He finally looked at her, a bit surprised, “you have?”

“You’re not fooling me when I’m on watch out in the field,” she pointed out. 

Danse averted his gaze again. They had been traveling together since the Brotherhood of Steel’s arrival in the Commonwealth months before. Though she had been with Danse even before that. Nora had stumbled upon a distress call near Cambridge. Feral ghouls had Danse and what was left of his team with their backs against the wall.

After helping turn the tide against the onslaught of ghouls, Danse had asked for her help yet again. Unlike the group of settlers in Sanctuary, Nora had decided to stay. She told herself it was because Cambridge would better serve as a home base as she searched for her son. Though really it was because she couldn’t stand to be in Sanctuary any longer. She had offered to help Preston and his people when she could, but she couldn’t stay in her old neighborhood. There were just too many painful memories.

Then there had been Danse’s promise. Help him and his team, and he would personally help her find her kidnapped son. He had been true to his word, and after contacting the Brotherhood Danse had brought her into the fold. Taught her how to survive and navigate the new confusing wasteland she had found herself in.

“Is it the nightmares?” she asked gently. When he didn’t respond she continued, “I get them too. Every time I close my eyes…” 

He looked up at her, almost timidly, a silent understanding forming between them. “I see the faces of my team,” he started. “The ones that I failed, the ones that I couldn’t save. Sometimes, I even see Cutler… being dragged off by mutants just screaming at me to save him, but I can’t move. I… I’m sorry. I don’t want to burden you with all of this.”

Danse wasn’t really the talking type. Sharing something like this was difficult for the battle scarred Paladin. He had told her of Cutler before, an old friend who had been turned into a Super Mutant. Danse had done his duty and killed Cutler. It was a mercy in the eyes of the Brotherhood, but Nora knew he struggled with it still.

“I’ve watched Nate die a thousand times in my dreams,” Nora wasn’t swayed by Danse’s apology. “Sometimes Shaun too. There are times I dream that bombs are falling and we never make it to the vault. They just burn to death right in front of me.” Her tone was steady, but her heart was pounding her chest. Danse didn't need her to explain anymore, and Nora took a great interest in studying her hands on the railing.

After exiting the vault, Nora had returned to her former home. It was nothing but a rusted shell of what used to be. The yard her husband had once fussed over was long ruined and overgrown. When she entered Shaun’s nursery, she hadn’t been able to hold back the tears. Everything was broken and dirty, destroyed beyond repair. Her old life had ended that day, but when she stepped out of that broken home she vowed to begin anew and find her son.

“I’m sorry,” Danse said simply.

“Me too,” her gaze still focused on her hands.

His hand found hers on the railing. The roughness of his palm caressed the back of her hand, as she looked up to meet those dark brown eyes in the starlight. They were just two broken people, their masks of strength put aside for just that moment. She was lost in his gaze, and the nightmare she was living dissolved around her.

Danse’s free hand left the Prydwen’s railing, only to find Nora’s cheek. She found her eyes closing as she leaned into his gentle touch. Before they knew it, they were leaning into each other. Danse’s hand left hers, and landed on her waist. Somehow her own hands left the safety of the railing, reaching out to return Danse’s embrace. Standing on her toes, he leaned down to meet her, his hand tangling itself into her chestnut curls.

When their lips met, every synopsis in her brain lit up. His lips were surprisingly soft and warm. The unshaven scruff of his jaw only served to heighten the sensation. Being in his arms, it was the first time since the vault Nora had felt safe. She felt as if she were drifting through space and time, as if the world around her no longer mattered. Perhaps, for the briefest of moments, she was content.

Then her hand grabbed hold of the cold railing. She went rigid as reality slammed back to the front her mind. Immediately taking notice of her sudden change, Danse pulled away. 

Neither had words for what just happened. None of it made sense, but neither could deny something had just changed between them.

“I’m sorry,” Danse abruptly apologized. “I didn’t mean… Well, I did…”

“I’m going to bed,” Nora put them out of their awkward misery as soon as possible.

“Of course,” Danse then realized he was still holding her and let her go as if she was made of hot steel.

Nora hid behind her hair as she passed the night guard on her way back inside. She couldn’t get to her bunk fast enough, her mind was racing a million miles an hour. Her heart was still pounding as she crawled beneath the worn sheets.

Yet, for the first night since leaving the vault, she fell into a dreamless sleep.


	2. Grey Area

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> So if you follow my other works, you've noticed I've been gone for a while. Well, my life has done a complete 180 in a very short amount of time. I dropped out of university, got engaged, moved a hundred miles away from the town that has been home for the last 5 years, and started a new demanding job. My life is mess, but things are moving in a better direction I think. 
> 
> I have no friends here... the town is tiny... and we went through about a million disasters in a very short amount of time. Through the break downs, the 60 hour work weeks, the tears, and our only car repeatedly crapping out, I haven't had a whole lot of time for writing. Well, I FOUND SOME TIME! 
> 
> Anyway, hopefully you'll be hearing more from me in the coming weeks. For now, here's a new chapter!
> 
> Thank you all for your kind words and support. It's been rough, but I'm glad to be back doing something that I love.
> 
> Yours,  
> MuseMeow

Things were tense between Danse and Nora in the days following their late night kiss. Try as he might, Danse couldn’t ignore the feelings that had surfaced during that heated moment. Since the moment he laid eyes on her, Danse had thought her to be one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Such thoughts had continued to plague him, no matter how hard he tried to silence them.

It took all of Danse’s self control not to think of her hazel eyes as he stepped out of the Prydwen’s med bay. Nora was constantly on his mind, and he kept telling himself it was because of his lack of sleep. The headaches also did little to help the situation. He could push through the pain and exhaustion, but the Brotherhood needed him at his best. Nora needed him, and being with her had significantly boosted his will to endure.

Obviously, whatever was going on with him was a physical medical problem. Danse had hoped the Brotherhood’s medic, Cade, would give him a better solution. Only, the doctor had told him whatever ailed him wasn’t physical, but mental and emotional. Cade had recommended he voluntarily be removed from active service and deal with whatever was tormenting him. Normally, Danse would have followed the doctor’s advice, but he had a promise to keep. Much to Cade’s frustration Danse had opted to see this mission through. He would push on, as he always had.

Turning towards his room, he saw Nora standing outside his door. Her back was to him. Her hand hovering over the door, as if she waiting to find the courage to knock. She pulled her hand away before knocking, quickly turning around in retreat. Only she found herself face to face with Danse.

“Did you need something?” he asked a bit gruffly.

“I, uh,” her face turned a bright shade of red, “well, I was just wondering if you had some time to talk.” Those hazel eyes tentatively met his.

“Of course,” he couldn’t avoid the tension as he maneuvered around her to unlock the door to his room. After opening the door he motioned her in. As she stepped through the threshold, Danse’s heart beat faster. He mutely reprimanded himself for being so weak in her presence.

His room was small, with only his neatly made bunk, footlocker, and desk taking up the cramped space. He pulled out the chair from his desk and offered it to Nora, who timidly took a seat. This is exactly what he had hoped to avoid. He had screwed up, and now she was about to ask to be transferred to someone else’s command. How could he have been so stupid?

“So I finally heard back from Dr. Amari in Goodneighbor,” Nora explained.

This wasn’t about the other night, much to Danse’s relief. Nor was it about wanting to transfer away from him. Instead, it seemed she wanted some normalcy between them again and Danse was all too eager to just let that happen.

“Just before the Prydwen arrived,” Nora continued, “I tracked down the man who murdered my husband and took my son. He went by the name Kellogg and he was one tough son of a bitch. There was no negotiating with the psycho, so I didn’t get any information from him. At least, not directly.” 

“Where is he now?” Danse inquired.

“Dead,” she said simply. “He deserved a lot more for everything he’s done.” She went quiet for a moment, processing the hurt and the hate. “Fortunately, one doesn’t really need to be alive to get information out of them these days. Dr. Amari believes she’s found a way to access Kellogg’s memories through one of his Institute implants.”

“Which could help us find the Institute itself,” Danse caught on.

“Exactly, but she needs our help. She needs me to come to the Memory Den.” Nora settled. “So what do you say?” She looked up at him, eagerly waiting for his response.

“I’m with you,” he affirmed. “To the end.”

Nora seemed a bit taken aback by his response, but thanked him. She got up to leave, and pushed in the chair Danse had offered her. She opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but changed her mind. The tension between them only increased. Turning to leave, Danse knew he had to say something or things were never going to return to normal between them.

Gathering his courage he stood up and called to her, “Nora.” She stopped dead in her in her tracks. “About the other night,” he took a deep breath, reminding himself they couldn’t move on if there was still this air of discomfort between them. “I’m sorry. I crossed a line. I didn’t mean to put us, well you, in such an awkward position. It will never happen again.”

She closed the short distance between them, “is that what you want?” Her words were soft, but demanding, completely catching him off guard. 

His mind was screaming at him to lie, to tell her yes, that he didn’t want to be with her. To just forget everything and let it all go back to it was before. The Brotherhood and their mission deserved their full attention. Instead, his heart won over.

“No,” he admitted, focusing his gaze on the floor. 

To his surprise her hand found his, “that isn’t what I want either, but…” she faltered.

“But what?” he insisted.

“Whatever, this is. It scares me,” she explained.

“I would never hurt you Nora,” Danse promised. His mouth was beginning to speak for him without hindrance of his conscious.

“I know, but that isn’t it.” She turned away from him. “Nate is dead, and Shaun is still missing… I just feel like I’m betraying them somehow.”

“You feel like you don’t deserve to be happy,” he had spoken the words before he could think to stop himself. Why did he have so little control around her?

“Exactly,” she looked back at him, those hazel eyes brimming with sorrow.

He reached out to her, his hand making contact just in time to wipe away the first trickle of tears. “I don’t know what this is, but you deserve to be happy, and so much more, Nora.”

She smiled sadly at him, and Danse’s heart sank. It pained him to see her like this. Silently, a panic gripped his heart. What if he couldn’t make her happy? What if he wasn’t enough? What if…

“Thank you,” she interrupted his troubled thoughts and dried her eyes on her sleeve. “I, uh, need some time to collect myself,” she sniffled a bit. “I’ll see you in the morning, Danse. Sorry, you had to see this.”

“Don’t be,” he finished, letting her walk out his door.

He should have done something more, said something to make thing better. He had never been good with these sort of situations, dealing with emotions other people. All he wanted was to be happy. That thought struck him. He had never felt that for anyone before. 

Deep down, he knew he was letting his emotions get out of control. One moment he wanted to kiss her, the next he just wanted to disappear and take everything back. The Paladin would never admit it, but what was taking shape between scared him more than anything. He could stand his ground against a Deathclaw, but Nora made him feel completely vulnerable, confused, and content all at the same time.

What had he gotten himself into?


	3. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes something terrible brings something good.

The lid on the memory lounger lifted, slowly. Nora’s heart was pounding in her chest, as if it was about to burst through her chest. She breathed deep trying to calm herself, trying to make the vision disappear. Trying to force out the memories she had tried so hard to forget.

Dr. Amari’s mouth moved, but she heard no words reached her ears. Instead a ringing seemed to resound through out the room. She looked to Danse, who said nothing, only looked at her with a helpless look on his face. Helpless, but understanding. He reached out to her, offering his hand to help her out. Wordlessly she took it, and let him guide her out of the memory lounger.

When she stood on her own two feet, his hand lingered gently squeezing hers, giving the silent reassurance she needed to get through the next few minutes. Danse spoke with the Doctor while her ears continued to ring, and she watched them converse in slow motion. 

The room swayed slightly, but she ignored it, too busy pushing away the pain and the throbbing in her chest. The entire world seemed to be slipping away beneath her feet. Everything spun around her now, and she wanted nothing more to disappear. She wanted to run, to scream, to cry, yell, fight, collapse, anything. Instead, she stood in silence as her heart imploded.

“Nora! Look at me!”

It was only then she realized Danse had grabbed her by the shoulders, and was staring directly into her eyes. He had to stoop down to make up for their height difference, but there he was. His face a mere inches from hers. Worry etched across his brow, his dark eyes searching hers.

“Sorry,” she snapped back, “I’m fine. Really, I am.”

Danse eyed her wearily, not entirely convinced, but he released her. Dr. Armari, encouraged her to get some rest after apologizing again that she had to relive it again. Somehow seeing her husband murdered and baby kidnapped was worse the second time around. She shoved her hands into her pockets to hide the shaking. All she wanted to do was get out of there, so she left without a word to the doctor.

Making a beeline for the door, Nora almost missed Nick on her way out. The synth detective sat on a worn velvet bench waiting for her. 

“Nick,” Nora prepared to thank her unlikely friend for his help, even if things hadn’t gone according to plan. Only, when Nick replied, it wasn’t in his voice, it was Kellogg’s.

“Hope you go what you were looking for inside my head,” his voice was scratchy, but it clearly the voice of the man that destroyed her life. “I was right. I should have killed you while you were on ice.”

“Are you okay?” Nora asked cautiously, taken aback by his comment. She glanced back to Danse who had clearly heard the voice too.

“What? What are you talking about? I’m fine,” Nick replied in his normal tones.

“It’s nothing,” Nora chose to ignore it for now. “I just wanted to thank you for your help, Nick.”

“Of course,” he assured her, “come see me in Diamond City if you need some more help.”

Nora said a quick goodbye, and Danse just gave him a passing look as they headed out into the streets of Goodneighbor. Finally outside in the evening air, Nora allowed herself to take a deep breath. 

She could feel Danse’s eyes on her, “are you alright?”

“No,” she answered honestly as they headed toward The Third Rail. “I was hoping to never see that day ever again… and Sean,” she faltered, but she managed to hold back the tears. “I would prefer not to talk about it right now. Later, perhaps.”

“I’m sorry,” Danse sighed. “I wish there was more I could do.”

“You’re here,” Nora assured him, “and that means a lot.”

He looked at her, those dark eyes always seemed to drive away even the worst of her pain. She pulled a hand from her pocket, and when it found itself in his grip the shaking stopped. He was the rock that she clung to in this never-ending storm.

“You know what, I could really use a drink right now,” she said simply.

“Are you sure?” Danse questioned her again.

“Affirmative,” she forced a smile back at him. She had spent the entire day remembering the darkest moments of her life. Right now, she just wanted to forget.

“I’ll buy the first round,” Danse gave her a lopsided smirk.

* * * * *

It was a few rounds in before Danse started losing his cool. He wasn’t much of a drinker. While he wasn’t an angry drunk or anything like that, he definitely talked a lot more once he had a few drinks. 

After what Nora had been through that day, Danse had understood her reason for going to the bar. He had done the same after Culter’s death. Only he had been alone. It was never good to leave a broken person and a bottle alone. Or at least that’s what he told himself. Any excuse to be by her side was good enough for him.

They had taken a table in the opposite corner of the stage where Magnolia sang her heart out. The bar was crowded, but the other patrons paid them little attention. Probably due to Nora convincing him to leave his power armor behind on the Prydwen. The Brotherhood wasn’t banned from Goodneighbor, but they weren’t exactly welcome. It was better to blend with the crowd than be bounding around in his power armor, calling all sorts of attention to them.

“Have you ever been in love, Danse?” Nora’s question surprised him. It came unprovoked while he took a drink from his glass.

“I’m not inexperienced, if that’s what you’re asking,” Danse tried to dodge. In this state, once he started there would be no end to it.

“That is not what I’m asking,” she gave him a smug look, “but that is also good to know.”

“Well, the answer would be no. I do not believe I’ve ever been in love before. Infatuated sure, but never love. At least not yet.” He looked at her, those hazel eyes flitting over his face.

“So you’ve never been in love?”

“Never.”

“Aren’t you lonely?” Nora pressed.

“No. I’ve always had the Brotherhood. I’ve never lacked in companionship.”

“Your one true love is the Brotherhood,” Nora teased, obviously more affected by the alcohol. “But what about me?

“What do you mean?” Danse took another drink for courage, he knew where she was going with this.

“How do you feel about me?” she leaned forward, placing her head in her hands. Obviously eagerly awaiting his reply.

The alcohol was definitely doing its job, because before he could stop himself he was speaking, again. “I think you are the most beautiful, and strongest woman I’ve ever met. I would rather not think about what my life would like be without you.”

Maybe it was the conversation. Maybe it was the alcohol, but before the weight of his statement registered in his brain, Nora’s lips were on his. The world was spinning, but Danse didn’t want it to end. When she pulled away, she was also pulling him to his feet.

“What are you doing?” Danse asked, but offered no resistance as she led him away from the table.

“Showing you what it’s like to be in love,” she slurred and laughed, and he couldn’t help but smile.

Nora led him to the dance flood, were a few other couples swayed by the stage. Danse had no idea what to do, and stood stiffly waiting for her to explain herself. She placed his right hand on her hip, then the left on the opposite side. Before he could voice his objections to dancing, her arms were around his neck pulling him into a near embrace. 

She seemed to hold onto him for dear life as they swayed across the dance floor, and he didn’t want to let her go. Ever. He pulled her closer. Though he had never been in love before, he was sure this was it. She was right. She always was, and he was okay with that. 

The world was still spinning around them, but they had each other to hold on to. She looked up at him and smiled, the first real smile he had seen in a long time. And for the first time in what seemed like forever he smiled back.


	4. Invincible

Nora hated traveling in her power armor. Unfortunately, she didn’t have much choice when their mission brought them to the Glowing Sea. She had heard the Commonwealth described as a wasteland, but nothing she had seen so far compared to the ruin of the Sea. Between the insane radiation amounts of radiation and the rampant mutated wildlife, wearing a suit a power armor was a requirement. 

So far they had avoided the few Deathclaws they had spotted, but they had a more than a few scuffles with the resident Radscorpions. Which were unavoidable as they had to navigate around the glowing pools of irradiated liquid that gave the wasteland its name. A permanent green haze only hindered their efforts further, limiting their line of sight. All the while a perpetual rad storm swirled overhead, blocking out the light of the sun.

Through it all, they persisted. They got directions to their target's hideout from the Children of Atom, a cult who had somehow managed to set up a settlement out in middle of the most inhospitable landscapes Nora had ever encountered. Somehow they were resistant to some of the worst effects of the radiation they worshiped. Though all of them were either balding or completely bald. She also noted radiation burns were a common site among them. 

There was little time to contemplate on the Atom worshippers’ strange choice of surroundings. They had what they came for, so Nora lead the way out of the crater towards a nearby cave. It would be a steep hike up into the barren hills, but the Children of Atom's leader had assured them it would be a short journey.

“Shit,” she breathed. They had made their way up into the hills, and she had stopped short of rounding a ridge.

“What is it, soldier?” Danse was always one hundred percent business in the field. It was an unspoken rule built on trust, when he was in that armor he was in command. Nora followed his every word without question, knowing their lives depended on it.

“Look,” she urged him to look beyond the rocky outcropping. She pressed her armor back against stone to stay out of sight while Danse took a look for himself.

“Deathclaw,” he confirmed, returning to her side.

“And it’s directly in front of that cave’s entrance,” Nora pointed out.

“If we take it by surprise we stand a better chance of getting an advantage,” Danse strategized.

“Well, at least we didn’t lug this minigun out here for nothing then,” Nora added, retrieving the over the oversized machine gun and handed it to Danse. He had carried the thing on his power armor across the Sea for just this senario. She, however, still preferred the laser rifle he had given her on their first mission. Righteous Authority had been etched into the metal of the stock. The name had served as a reminder of the Brotherhood’s ideals and by extension Danse’s. It gave her sometime to strive for.

Danse finished up his look over of the minigun, “ready?”

“Always. Ad victorium,” she gave a nod. She couldn’t see his face under the helm, but she knew he approved.

She burst out from behind their cover, catching the brooding Deathclaw unaware. The fire of her laser rifle served as little more than a distraction as she drew the Deathclaw away from their hiding spot.

As she moved away, the Deathclaw became enraged charging toward her, its roar shaking the earth beneath her. Not a moment to soon Danse charged onto the scene. The Deathclaw howled as Danse flanked the monster firing mercilessly upon it. Frantically, it tried to change directions to charge the assaulting Paladin. It weaved back and forth avoiding some of the minigun’s onslaught.

Nora kept up her attack, hitting the deathclaw with laser fire as Danse dodged the mutated beast’s massive talons. Keeping up her cover fire, Nora heard the minigun whirl back to life as Danse regained his footing. The deathclaw screeched as Danse fired upon it again. It lurched for Danse in a frenzy, giving no regard to the hailstorm of bullets that tore at its body. 

“Danse!” Nora couldn’t stop herself, she called out to him as the Deathclaw collided with him. The minigun was knocked from his grasp, slamming against a nearby rock face. Nora sprinted towards them, but she wasn’t fast enough. Before she could reach them, Danse gained the upper hand and straight up tackled the monster.

The deathclaw was thrown to the ground, Danse reached for his laser rifle as he pinned the massive beast to the ground. It flailed and roared in desperation, but the wounded deathclaw was no match for direct laser fire down its throat.

Nora stared in amazement, trying to process what had just happened. Never had she seen anyone move like that. Even with the power armor’s augmented strength, Danse had just body slammed a deathclaw into submission.

“We should get out of the rads,” he stated flatly as he got to his feet.

“Are you alright?” Nora breathed in disbelief.

“Affirmative,” he replied picking up the discarded mini gun, “but it looks like the mini gun is a loss.” He tossed the weapon aside after a brief inspection. Danse lead the way into the cave, his focus always on the mission at hand. It was moments like these that made her think that the Paladin was truly invincible in that power armor.

Nora followed Danse into the cave, turning her attention back to the mission. Inside, the cave was dimly lit, a light source coming from deeper in the cave. Treading carefully, the pair headed deeper, unsure of what sort of greeting they would receive from the rouge Institute scientist. 

As they rounded the last bend of the narrow cave, they were met by a blinding spotlight limiting their depth of sight. Nora raised her laser rifle, ready to fire. Danse shifted uneasily, his attention fixed on the turret that idled directly in front of them. None of the defenses had fired upon them, but that didn’t mean they were welcome.

“I don’t know how you found me,” a deep grumble came from the shadow behind the light. “Though, I suppose it was only a matter of time before you tracked me down. Now, where’s Kellogg? Did he send you in first to try to slow me down?” 

“Dead,” Nora stated flatly. “Killed him myself.”

“What?” the voice growled in disbelief, “you killed him?”

“Yeah, and that bastard deserved more than death,” Nora seethed. Her chest burned with hatred at the thought of him. Just hearing that name only reminded her of her anger.

“Then I suppose it is safe to assume that you are not on good terms with the Institute.” Suddenly the spotlight was shut off, revealing the cave’s single inhabitant.

“He’s a mutant!” Danse lunged at the giant green creature. Nora’s reaction was swift. She positioned herself between the Paladin and one thing he hated most. A loud crash reverberated through the small entrance chamber, as Nora’s power armor made contact with Danse.

“We need him,” Nora exclaimed, stopping him dead in his tracks. She was physically holding him back from assaulting their only lead. 

“He’s a mutant,” Danse growled through his helmet.

“And,” Nora pointed out, “he’s our only way in.”

Danse relented haughtily, his grip still firmly on his laser rifle. Suppressing a sigh of relief, Nora finally turned her attention back to the task at hand. Removing her helmet, she faced the super mutant who was now eyeing them suspiciously. 

“Are you Dr. Virgil?” She asked.

“Yes, and who might you be?” he demanded.

“My name is Nora, and this is Paladin Danse. We’re with the Brotherhood of Steel, and we need to get into the Institute,” she explained quickly.

“Straight to the point,” Virgil noted, leading them further into the cave he had converted into his personal hideout. “I personally don’t know much about this Brotherhood, that was Reclamation’s area of expertise." The entered what seemed to be the final chamber. A final turret stood guard at the entrance. It was a small living space crowded with as much scientific equipment the doctor had been able to get his hands on. "So, tell me why you want to get inside the Institutes so badly that you crossed the Glowing Sea to find me. Do you even know how they gets in and out?”

“Yeah,” Nora replied, “they use some sort of teleporter.”

Virgil seemed impressed, “somebody’s done their homework. That isn’t exactly common knowledge. Though, if you really killed Kellogg, you don’t seem like the kind of person to leave anything to chance.

“But you would be correct, it’s called the Molecular Relay. I might be able to help you, but first I need something in return,” his inhuman green eyes looked at Danse nervously, as if expecting him to automatically dismiss his request. Luckily Danse would follow her lead when it came to tactical negotiations. 

“Well, it would depend on what you want,” Nora pressed.

Virgil shifted uneasily, trying to decide how much information he was willing to give her. “In my lab, there is a serum. I need it,” he stated.

“What does this serum do?” Nora wasn’t going to run in there and grab some mysterious serum, only to find out later it was a chemical weapon he planned on using to wipe out the entire wasteland with. 

“It will fix this,” he made a grand motion towards himself. “I was human once, believe it or not,” he scowled at Danse. “I would prefer to return to my former self. In my lab there is a cure for my… condition.”

“Impossible!” Danse suddenly interrupted. “There is no cure for the FEV.”

“That is mostly true,” Virgil explained. “However, this particular strain of FEV was made in my lab, and in my lab there is a cure for it. Given enough time, maybe one day there will be a cure for all FEV mutants.”

“Doubtful, besides such experimentation is too dangerous. The FEV is too unstable, too unpredictable, and ultimately permanent. And do tell me _doctor_ ,” Danse spat out the word, “just where exactly do you get the subjects to run your experiments on?”

“Danse,” Nora glared at him, “enough.” The Paladin backed off, though he was clearly upset. His hatred of Super Mutants was well known, but she hadn’t expected this outburst. Clearly, they had a lot to talk about, but only if she could secure this deal.

“I will get you the serum,” Nora continued once Danse had sufficiently composed himself. “You just need to get us inside, first.”

“It isn’t going to be easy,” Virgil rumbled.

Nora sighed. “Nothing these days ever is.”


End file.
